Tuckness Achieves Dream

Those of us who grew up athletes of sorts might have dreamt that one day we’d knock in the winner at the World Series or score the go-ahead goal in the Stanley Cup finals but a very select few actually suit up to play professional sports. Dusty Tuckness of tiny Meeteetse, Wyoming wears a special kind of uniform – baggy cutoff overalls held up by suspenders and adorned with long kerchiefs hanging from the sides, a brightly-colored western shirt, cowboy hat and clown makeup painted on his face. He is a professional rodeo bullfighter. Only certified in the pro ranks since 2006, the young Wyoming talent has ascended the ranks quickly to reach the pinnacle achievement by attaining a slot in the arena for the 2009 Wrangler National Finals in Las Vegas (WNFR). “I’m speechless. This is amazing, a dream come true,” Tuckness said.

A final round of voting last week by pro bull riders currently making up the top twenty in the world standings confirmed Tuckness’ position and he is honored. “It’s a great feeling to know the top twenty riders would like to see me at the world series of rodeo,” he responded.

Tuckness, whose father Timber has been a professional bullfighter since 1993, grew up in rodeo and spent many hours watching national finals tapes with his dad. “I feel like I’ve accomplished something I had as a goal when I was a kid and I’m just looking forward to it,” he said.

The Meeteetse cowboy kept bull riders from harm at several big rodeos during the 2009 regular season including the shows in Houston and Fort Worth, the Dodge National Circuit Finals in Pocatello and the Xtreme Bulls events in Cody, WY. Tuckness and close friend Kanin Asay from Powell staged a special bull riding and fighting event in Cody this summer as well.

Asay and two other Wyoming bull riders – Bobby Welsh of Gillette and Clayton Savage from Casper – will be competing at the national finals in Las Vegas. “It’s cool to be around those guys. They knew early on they’d made the finals and encouraged me to stay positive that I’d be there with them,” Tuckness said. He was an alternate selection for last years’ WNFR.
Dusty Tuckness is a Christian-athlete and often leads bible study groups at rodeos around the West. He is also sponsored by Wyoming Travel & Tourism. “Dusty impressed me from the very beginning and we were anxious to have him join our team,” said Diane Shober, state tourism director.

When it’s time for bull riding in the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas for the first go-round at the national finals December 3, one Wyoming bullfighter plans to be ready. “When I walk into that arena I’ll just be in awe that I am there,” Tuckness said. “If anything I’ll be a little nervous and certainly excited thinking this is my shot. The hard work’s over and now I’m just going to fight bulls."

Omaha Shakes Out Top 15

The final numbers will take a few weeks to determine officially but as of this writing the money won by Casper’s Jhett Johnson team roping at the River City Roundup in Omaha is enough to fuel Jhett’s trip to the 2009 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. Johnson and partner Steve Purcella did not make any cash in the final rounds Saturday night but they still left Omaha with nearly $3,800 solidifying the #14 heeling hole for Jhett with only one major stop left in pro rodeo’s regular season.

Bobby Welsh of Gillette didn’t make any cash Saturday night either but he took home nearly $9,700 from the first two rounds in Omaha.

Saturday night’s final rounds were good to Kelly Timberman from Mills, WY. The 2004 world champ won more than $13K on two horses – almost $10,000 in one fantastic eight-second spur to score 89 points on a horse called Wise Guy:



Timberman left Omaha with $16,600 added to his 2009 regular season money bringing him to nearly $90K for the year.

Ryan Gray, who grew up in Cheyenne and Laramie, won the Omaha bareback riding championship and added a hefty $32,000 to his regular season take as a result.

We can’t leave Omaha’s finale of the Wrangler Tour playoffs without showing you the luminous Luke Branquinho. He won the steer wrestling tour title for the second year running with this dazzling 3.4 second toss:



Luke travels with Lance Creek Wyoming’s Jason Miller who did not make enough cash in tour rodeos this year to compete in the playoffs. At this writing it seems clear that Miller has been dropped out of his #15 spot by Blake Knowles who earned more than $13,000 in Omaha.

WYO Might

There was nearly a sigh of relief visible in the manner of Casper’s Jhett Johnson after he and team roping partner Steve Purcella stopped the clock at six seconds flat last night to collect fourth place money of $2,100 and finish tied for fourth/fifth in the average to bring their money total so far in Omaha to nearly $3,800. They secure a spot in the championships tonight where the top eight in each event compete and then the top four have at it to decide the winners at the 2009 River City Roundup. There are just a few rodeos left in the regular season and none (with the possible exception of the Heartland Finals in Waco, TX next month) have near the money available to change the world standings on a significant basis. Jhett had to finish the year in the money on almost every throw of his heeling rope in order to have a chance to make the national finals. And he did. Johnson was more than pleased with the run last night and gave his partner credit for staying focused:



Bobby Welsh of Gillette is Mr. Consistent in his playoff run. He has ridden all six bulls to the whistle thus far between Washington State and Omaha. Last night, his 82-point ride secured him second in the average even though getting started was difficult Friday since the bull didn’t seem to want to participate:



Welsh has won more than $7,000 thus far in Omaha.

There is plenty more of Wyoming to root for in the Omaha finals tonight. Kelly Timberman of Mills, WY made the cut and will seek a repeat bareback riding champ’s buckle here. Ryan Gray who grew up in Cheyenne and Laramie finished in the top spot in the bareback average.

Wyoming’s Miss Congeniality, owned by Hank and Lori Franzen’s Power River Rodeo Co. of Riverton, is due out in the first round tonight. Fans will surely be amazed at her initial high mark out of the chutes. She’ll be topped by Louisiana’s Heith DeMoss. Fasten your seatbelt Heith! The Omaha rodeo will be crystallized in highlight form and shown on ESPN2, Sunday, October 25 at 10 a.m. mountain time.

Bubble On

It is bubble time in professional rodeo. Many contestants are within reach of the coveted Top 15 and have only this weekend to make the cut for the national finals rodeo. Gillette saddle bronc rider Chet Johnson is among a six-pack of pals close enough to secure a trip to Vegas by what they are able to accomplish here at the River City Roundup in Omaha – the playoff finale of this years’ Wrangler Tour. Chet drew a tough ride last night as Checkout is known to be tricky. Johnson stayed for the whistle but his 73 did not bring a trip to the pay window.

Jhett Johnson of Casper was just out of the money at 6.2 seconds team roping with partner Steve Purcella. The solid run sets them up well for the semis/finals Saturday if they can stay around the six-second mark in the second round tonight.

Bobby Welsh of Gillette won more cash than any other cowboy in the first round of the playoffs in Washington State and is in good standing to continue his fabulous finish to the regular season after an 82-point ride last night in Omaha on a bull called Black Diablo:



Welsh split third and fourth place money to collect more than $2,600 for his opening nights’ work. Second round action in Omaha’s Qwest Center tonight is a repeat of Thursday – all twelve who’ve made it in each event get another shot.

Wyoming Roper Reaches the Top 15

Pro rodeo’s playoff system to closeout the 2009 Wrangler Million Dollar Tour has completed its first round in western Washington State. And the rodeo in Puyallup, WA was especially good – a healthy pull y’all up – if you will, for Casper team roper Jhett Johnson. He had been fixed well below the Top 15 all year and then went out with partner Steve Purcella of Hereford, TX to win the playoff opener in Puyallup and jump to #15 while collecting more than $14,000. They came back to the big Pendleton Roundup in Oregon this past weekend and left with another $2,600 and Jhett moved up to #14 in the world standings. We spoke today with Jhett who is in Texas for a little practice before heading to the River City Roundup (the finals of this year’s playoffs) in Omaha Wednesday:



The top twelve teams compete in the playoff championship round at this week’s River City Roundup in Omaha. The same is true for the other events and Wyoming will be well represented there by bull rider Bobby Welsh from Gillette and Gillette saddle bronc rider Chet Johnson. Welsh won more money than any other contestant at Puyallup pocketing more than $23,000.

Wyoming Travel & Tourism will have a booth set up in front of the Quest Center in Omaha where visitors can meet our cowboys and pick up free autograph sheets. We are also giving away a couple of Wyoming vacation packages including a Yellowstone winter excursion in cooperation with park concessionaire Xanterra Parks & Resorts. A trip to next summer’s Cheyenne Frontier Days is also being given away.

WYO Pro Rodeo Notables

Powell, WY bull rider Kanin Asay won a round at the Xtreme Bulls national championships in Ellensburg, WA scoring 91 on a Burns Rodeo Co. (Laramie, WY) bull called Kid Twist. Asay amassed about $14,000 in Ellensburg and is now in the #6 position in the world standings. Bobby Welsh is fourth and has surpassed the $100,000 mark for the 2009 regular season. Casper’s Clayton Savage is in the seventh spot assuring three Wyoming bull riders have NFR slots and therefore a chance at a coveted world champion’s gold buckle.

Meeteetse’s Dusty Tuckness is a nominee for Bullfighter of the Year. All contestants, participating contract personnel, and dues paying rodeo committees have a vote in the outcome. The winners in all categories will be announced Wed., Dec. 2, during the PRCA Awards Banquet at the South Point Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Cheyenne Frontier Days is once again in the running for Large Outdoor Rodeo of the Year.

Music from Moorcroft

If you grow up in a place where there are only two people per square mile you can sing as loud and often as you want and not really cause much of a stir, except maybe with the cattle. Chancey Williams is singing for crowds now as frontman for Chancey Williams & The Younger Brothers Band. They played the big saloon on Frontier Park every night of the 2009 Cheyenne Frontier Days. A new CD is getting attention and a regular gig in Las Vegas is a far cry from the open country around the town of Moorcroft in northeastern Wyoming’s Crook County.

Like a lot of Wyoming kids, Chancey was raised on rodeo. He rode broncs all of high school, three years at Casper College, and one year at the University of Wyoming in Laramie.

The band started in Moorcroft and continued to grow in popularity and skill. Chancey kept up with the books and graduated from UW with a master’s degree in Public Administration. He is definitely administering to the public now in a country-rock sort of way.

We visited with Chancey after a set at the Wyoming State Fair in Douglas last week:



To stay on top of what’s happening with this up and coming group from Wyoming go to: www.theyoungerbrothersband.com


Bull Fight at the WYO Corral

There’s a new posse in town. Wyoming has three bull riders who are in the top ten of the world standings. A bullfighter from Meeteetse has a good shot at being named to work the national finals in December. Quite the foursome – Kanin Asay and Dusty Tuckness from Park County; Bobby “Red Boots” Welsh from Gillette and Clayton Savage of Casper. We had the chance to spend some time with the group before they competed at a special bull riding event at Wyoming’s State Fair in Douglas last week. Mr. Savage won the event, by the way. Our intrepid video-man Mike gives you an inside peek at this gang we’ll call Dusty & the Long Riders:

State Fair Play

The middle of the top ten bull riders in the world standings as of this week all call Wyoming home. Bobby Welsh, Kanin Asay and Clayton Savage are #4, #5 and #6 respectively with winnings ranging from $66,000 to $77,000 thus far. If you are a rodeo fan you know that money has gone to travel, food, and family. The chance to actually show a profit for the year is by placing in a few rounds at the national finals in December. Until then, it’s rodeo to rodeo – paycheck to paycheck.

If you can, plan a visit to the Wyoming State Fair this week to meet these young men and show them your support as they ready for the big dance in Las Vegas. Bobby and Kanin have been a part of our state sponsorship program since their first national finals appearances and we know how proud they are to wear “Wyoming” red. Clay will be joining us, we believe, in short order.

Kanin likes the color purple and even wears a helmet of that shade. Our little “Wyoming” patches adorn that helmet and clashing red/purple aside, Kanin was threatened with a fine for sticking those home patches on his headgear. The Powell, WY man reached a compromise with the PRCA and continues to keep Wyoming on, and in, his noggin.

Bobby and his wife have three kids and boy did they need the cash that Cheyenne Frontier Days brought by Bobby sticking to all three draws. They live near Gillette, WY and are hoping to win enough in Las Vegas to purchase a nice, roomy, motorhome. Near the end of Frontier Days last month I looked in the rough stock riders “ready” area and saw Bobby reading a bible lesson to his fellow riders. He wasn’t preaching. He was proclaiming, and explaining, his beliefs. He is becoming a leader.

We first met Clayton as he was prepping to ride at the Evanston, WY rodeo a few summers back. He was pretty retro 1970s in his look and he clearly had talent in spades. I’ve heard a few of the experts say Clayton’s straight-armed riding style and his get-off (dismount) are liable to lead to injury. My assessment of the world these fellows live in is they know what works best for them. Clay told us he grew up riding the furniture at Mom’s house in Casper and there was no stopping what he was going to do once old enough.

We don’t have a pro football team here in Wyoming. There are no professional sports, at least at the highest level, other than rodeo. I like sports. I like to root for someone who wears my colors. The aforementioned bull riders get on for themselves naturally but I like to believe they’re riding for me too. I clap and holler when they win and feel bad when they buck off early. I worry for them because what they do is so dangerous. I know they are highly skilled and would not be where they are if they didn’t know how to keep themselves as safe as possible. I want them each to one day own a world champion’s buckle – maybe two, or three.

Come out to the state fair early Thursday. The bull riding event starts at 7 p.m. and will feature our young men headed to the national finals. At 3 p.m. we will be set up next to the Pepsi free entertainment stage. There will be freebies galore and a chance to meet the riders. They have free autograph sheets to give you along with a smile and a handshake.

As a special bonus, bullfighter Dusty Tuckness from Meeteetse is going to be with us. He joined the Wyoming team this year and has done numerous public appearances, and press interviews, since winter when he was fighting bulls at the big rodeos in Houston and Fort Worth. He is widely acknowledged as one of the best at his trade. Dusty is very popular with the fans, his rodeo colleagues and dare I say with the ladies. Blush. Dusty was an alternate at the national finals last year and could very well get the votes to make the A-team bullfighting crew in 2009. Of course, Dusty will be working Thursday night in the state fair rodeo arena helping his pals make it safely back to the chutes. Dusty and Kanin are close friends having been reared in the same county and garnering their rodeo chops at the rodeo arena in Cody.

See you in Douglas! Meet the boys. Pick up free DVDs and have fun listening and dancing to Wyoming’s own Chancey Williams and The Younger Brothers Band. Showtime is 3 p.m, Pepsi free entertainment stage, at the Wyoming State Fair.